Cherry and Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
Chewy brown butter oatmeal cookies with dried tart cherries and buttery homemade toffee bits.
Servings: 22 large cookies
Equipment
- candy thermometer
Ingredients
Toffee Bits Ingredients
- 1/2 c butter
- 1 c light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Cookie Ingredients
- 1 c butter, softened
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 T malt powder (optional)
- 1 c brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 4 tsp milk
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 c toffee bits
- 1 c dried tart cherries
Instructions
Toffee Bits
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then add brown sugar and salt. Whisk vigorously for about a minute, until everything is well-combined and the sugar has melted. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture reaches right around 300°F on a candy thermometer.Note: if it separates at any point, don't panic. Just remove the pan from the heat and whisk vigorously until it combines again, then return it to the heat and continue cooking.1/2 c butter, 1 c light brown sugar,, 1 tsp kosher salt
- Once it reaches 300°F, immediately pour the toffee onto your prepared baking sheet and let it spread out (you can spread it out further for thinner toffee bits if you want, using a heat-proof spatula).
- Let the toffee cool for about 20 minutes, then break it into bits. I found that tapping it with a wooden spoon broke it up nicely, but a knife and cutting board work well too. Or, to avoid flying shards, you can put it into a plastic bag and break it up with a rolling pin or wooden spoon.I like a mixture of big and small bits of toffee in my cookies, but you do you and break them into whatever size you like!
- Measure out 1 c of toffee bits for your cookies. The remainder can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. They're great on ice cream, as a cake topping, or just for snacking. 😉
Cherry and Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
- Brown HALF of the butter (leave the other half at room temp to soften). See my post on "Brown Butter" for instructions. Pour brown butter into a bowl or other container to cool for 20 minutes.1 c butter,
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and malt powder (if using).2 c all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 c old fashioned oats, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 T malt powder
- Using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the other half of the butter with the brown sugar until smooth, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Add vanilla and milk and mix until combined.1 c brown sugar, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, 4 tsp milk
- Add the COOLED brown butter and the granulated sugar. Beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed.1/2 c granulated sugar
- Add eggs and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.2 large eggs
- Add flour mixture and mix on low just until combined. You should still have some bits of unmixed flour throughout the dough. Fold in dried cherries and toffee bits.1 c toffee bits, 1 c dried tart cherries
- Refrigerate dough for 2 hours or overnight. This step is CRUCIAL — don't skip chilling your dough!When you're ready to bake, set the dough out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften up a bit (it will make scooping easier).
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a large cookie scoop or a spoon and your hands, form dough into about 3T balls and place 2" apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until beginning to brown around the edges and set in the middle.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, then move cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to a month.